Medical Tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of recent times. The search for quality and affordable health care, as well as leisure travel to new countries, continues to globalize the field. However, the reality is that not all countries have made progress in the field of medical tourism or are still in the early stages of development. As well as the top countries in the world (Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, etc.), there are countries with problems. Recently, scientists working at Sechenov University in Russia conducted various interviews with health professionals to study the processes and nuances that slow down the development of medical tourism in the country, and to find out what measures can be taken to eliminate them. The heads of 36 medical organizations took part in the survey. "Medical tourism plays an important role in the economic situation of the country, where medical institutions, as well as other sectors benefit. Therefore, attention should be paid to the development of this area, steps should be taken to improve its quality," they said.

Previously, the quality of medical tourism was a priority for travelers, but now the price of the service is important to them. They compare the ratio between price and quality and choose the cheapest place. Russia must also take serious steps in this regard, they added. However, in order to choose to leave their country for treatment, foreigners must be sure that they will be able to meet with professionals, that it will not be too difficult to obtain documents, including visas, and that the treatment itself will not be harmful. According to them, it is difficult to accommodate patients in Russia, get the necessary documents and visas, and not all clinics have international certificates.
They cited unsatisfactory clinics, lack of modern equipment and specialists as other problems hindering development. In addition, the availability of doctors and staff with insufficient language skills is one of the factors preventing foreigners from receiving treatment in the country.

As for the solution, the experts agreed that first of all it is necessary to solve the problem of staff and equipment shortage. The second place is to inform potential patients about the services of medical organizations. For this purpose, measures should be taken to maintain the clinic's website in good condition and translate the materials into foreign languages.